May 7, 2024 - ChaddsFordLive.com

UCF talks budget and taxes

It’s that time of year again when school boards talk budget and property owners wonder about taxes. Taxes went up last year and they’re proposed to go up again this year.

The school district held a budget hearing on May 6 and the proposed budget calls for property taxes in the Chester County townships of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District to be 32.74 mils, and 18.64 mils in Chadds Ford, the only Delaware County township in the district. Last year’s millage rates were 31.95 mils Chester County and 16.72 mils in Chadds Ford. (A mil is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)

Those proposed increases reflect a percentage hike of 2.7 percent for Chester County property owners and an 11.48 percent increase for property owners in Chadds Ford.

The different rates between the two counties are based on how the counties assess property value.

“This budget builds the foundation for a full-day kindergarten program,” said Superintendent of Schools John Sanville. “It invests in our infrastructure through funding of the Long-Range Facilities Plan, keeps us in a strong financial position by keeping our fund balance at the minimum required by policy. While I think this budget is a prudent one, it is adversely impacted by Pennsylvania’s multi-county tax system resulting in a historic swing in tax obligation for Chadds Ford Township.”

The proposed plan anticipates revenues and expenditures to be in the $105.8 million range. Specifically, $105,825,790 in revenues and $105,868,802 in expenditures. Salaries and benefits total 73 percent of the expenses.

The numbers can still change between now and the vote on the final budget in June.

The full proposed budget breakdown can be found here.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

UCF talks budget and taxes Read More »

Changes planned for Dilworthtown complex

Local News Birmingham, Local News

Birmingham Township supervisors Monday night took action on two land-use applications Monday night. One of the properties in question borders Chadds Ford Township on Webb Road and the other involves the Dilworthtown Inn complex.

Painter House Suites wants to turn a former house, owned by the late Jim Barnes into a restaurant. Barnes was the owner of the Dilworthtown Inn, the Inn Keepers Kitchen, and The Blue Pear. The house in question is at 225 Brintons Bridge Road.

Attorney Ryan Furlong, representing Painter House, said changing the house to a restaurant is minor and should be exempt from the routine land development review process.

“This project involves some very minor parking lot and site circulation improvements,” he said. Part of the change would be to close the vehicular access to Brintons Bridge Road.

Engineer Jim Fritsch, of Regester Associates, said the house is an historic resource and is one of three separate tax parcels in question, one on Old Wilmington Pike and two on Brintons Bridge Road. The total acreage of the three parcels is 4.083 acres and is zoned Historic Commercial.

He said there are 109 parking spaces required for the new restaurant and The Blue Pear sites involved, but the plan calls for 118. Potential parking for the Dilworthtown Inn was not discussed because there are no plans for the inn at this time. Fritsch added that the township zoning officer said the plan meets all requirements and that the Planning Commission recommends waiving the land development process for the project to convert the house into a restaurant.

The board agreed to waive land development 2-0 with one abstention. Supervisor Michael Shiring recused himself because he and Furlong work for the same law firm. Shiring also recused himself from the vote on the other land use application for the same reason.

That other land use application involves a 20-acre property at 541 Webb Road. There is one home on the property now, and plans call for the property to be subdivided to add four new homes. The new lots will range in size from 2.6 acres to 3.5 acres. The lot size for the current home will be on a lot of almost 6 acres.

Engineer Scott Deisher, of JMR Engineering said the township Planning Commission recommended approval, PennDOT has approved a Highway Occupancy Permit for the driveway, and sewage permitting has been approved. Sewage will be handled with onsite septic and water will be from wells on the properties.

The measure passed 2-0.